This isn't an apology for anything in the sense that I'm sorry. This is an apology in the philosophical sense, a defense of something. In this case, I'm defending the construction of roads as a strategic tool over the use of long tunnels.

I don't see people build roads very often in Ace of Spades. When I do, they're always one step high (and therefore slow), or nobody ever takes the time to maintain or expand them (And so the road eventually becomes useless). This is a damn shame. I would say there is no structure more powerful in the game. Roads can defeat mountain forts if well placed, or allow for the creation of huge intel leads with extremely heavy offensive pressure. They're extremely powerful structures.

But first, what is a road, and how do you make a good road? A road is simply a trench with exposed dirt extending in a straight, usually over mountains or other difficult terrain. Making a road is simple. To start, simply pick a direction and start digging a 2-wide trench. When digging your trench up a mountain, wait for the wall in front of you to become 4 blocks high, then dig out the top two layers of the wall and make a step there. When digging down a mountain, simply use the pickaxe to flatten out the natural mountain steps, trying to make a single step every 2 blocks. This allows the mountain to be run down quickly, while still making it somewhat uncomfortable to climb. It's always important to remember that the speed of a road in controlled by the number of steps, so roads with two-high steps will also be faster than roads with 1-high steps. Once the road is finally built, remember to repair it as it takes damage. People will throw nades onto your road and blocks from the floor will be destroyed, so take the time to stop and fill in the damage. This is very important or your road will become useless and slow to run on.

So, why use roads? Roads, ultimately, are a way to help your team control more space. By allowing faster movement in your territory, but keeping the movement visible, you can move your men to your front line faster. More men on the frontline means more territory means easier intel caps. But why not simply use a transport tunnel? Several reasons:
1. Unlike tunnels, roads are resistant to sabotage.
2. Unlike tunnels, roads can be accessed from any point on the road. Thus they are easier to use.
3. Roads can be guarded and defended much easier than tunnels.
4. Roads are harder to co-opt, unlike tunnels which can easily become the enemy's best friend if found.
5. Roads show on the map and are therefore easier for teammates to find and use.
6. Roads can run directly into above-ground fortifications such as bunkers or trenches.
There's a few more, but I think you get the idea.

So, where should we build roads? Start your road in lowlands where your team spawns and run them to contested mountains or into trench networks near enemy forts. Remember, the role of the road is enable your team to move faster and overwhelm the enemy by reducing the amount of time from spawn to getting to fights. So obviously, your road should end where the teammates would want to fight from, and start where they spawn.